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Mindfulness Meditation: Scientific Research

13 Feb 2017

I sometimes have trouble keeping up a habit of daily meditation. But as a scientist, I find scientific research on positive health benefits to be motivating. (I'm not yet enlightened enough to just "do it for its own sake".)

Here's a short compilation of some recent results on mindfulness meditation

1. Mindfulness meditation improves cognition

That's a fancy way of saying it makes you smarter. Click here for the 2010 research paper.

2. Mindfulness meditation increases your brain's gray matter

I find it fascinating that a daily, non-invasive activity has a physical effect on your brain. Click here for the 2014 research paper.

3. Mindfulness meditation helps your immune system

This sounds like magic to me; but the data supports it. Click here for the 2016 research paper.

4. Mindfulness helps with anxiety

This is probably not a surprise -- but it's a subject near and dear to my heart. I'm always trying to live a life of less fear and less anxiety. Click here for the 2013 research paper.